The New Haven Lawn Club is a private
social club
A social club may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation, or activity. Examples include: book discussion clubs, chess clubs, anime clubs, country clubs, charity work, criminal ...
located on
Whitney Avenue
Whitney Avenue is a principal arterial connecting Downtown New Haven with the town center of Hamden in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Most of the road within the city of New Haven is included in the Whitney Avenue Historic District, which is liste ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut, close to
Yale University. Founded in 1891, the club is today considered one of the most prestigious in the area.
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The clubhouse, built in 1931 to replace a former clubhouse that burned in 1929, is credited to architect Douglas W. Orr, but much of the detail design is by William Douglas.[ and ] One building and one structure of the club are deemed contributing to the historic character while another building and three structures are non-contributing.
History
The Club was founded in 1891 by a group of New Haven residents. After the original clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1929, Douglas Orr designed the current facility.
It originally hosted lawn tennis, now more commonly known as court tennis, reflecting a fad brought from England.[
As of 2005, more than 520 families were members.
]
Activities
The New Haven Lawn Club offers a wide range of activities and events including tennis, swimming, food, art exhibits, concerts, book clubs, yoga and pilates. The Club is also a venue for many of New Haven's prestigious dances.
Facilities
Visitors enter the foyer through a vaulted portico, archways, and columns made of the local red brick. Octagonal windows look out over the tended Lawn Club grounds. A Lalique crystal chandelier is in the foyer. Working fireplaces are found throughout the building. The New Haven Lawn Club has several event rooms.
The Grand Ballroom, is the club's largest event space and with a 225-person occupancy. The Ballroom has a barrel-vaulted ceiling, a performance stage, and hardwood floors. The event space includes a terrazzo entryway and fireplace.
The club's main dining room seats 120 people. Two wood-burning fireplaces mirror each other at opposite ends of the hall, with terrazzo flooring between them. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the Lawn Club grounds and the attached terrace overlooks the tennis courts.
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven, Connecticut
References
External links
Official website
{{National Register of Historic Places
Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Lawn Club
Tourist attractions in New Haven, Connecticut
Clubs and societies in the United States
Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut
Buildings and structures completed in 1931
Buildings and structures in New Haven, Connecticut
Clubhouses in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in New Haven, Connecticut